Cornell Student Wins National Institute of Health Research Award

Equine surgeon Lauren Schnabel, DVM, Dipl. ACVS, has earned the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Mentored Clinical Scientist Research Career Development Award. Schnabel is a PhD student in the field of comparative and biomedical sciences at Cornell’s College of Veterinary Medicine in Ithaca, N.Y.

The NIH award is offered to develop promising medical scientists into independent investigators and fill faculty gaps in health areas where experts are in short supply. Selection is heavily weighted on the quality of applicants’ mentors, resource infrastructure, and personal development plans.

"I'm fortunate to be at Cornell, where there’s a lively culture of interdisciplinary collaboration," said Schnabel. "Experts from different fields are excited to come together to tackle an issue. That’s helped not only in getting this award but in studying stem cells. There are so many angles involved, from basic biology and genetics to immunology and clinical practice. We have people at the forefront of these fields willing to work together."

Schnabel will use the award to build an independent research program developing specialized stem cells and testing their ability to regenerate tendons in injured horses.

Her faculty mentors include Lisa Fortier, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVS, a scientist and large animal orthopedic surgeon established in the fields of tendon repair and stem cell therapies, and John Schimenti, PhD, an expert in the fields of genetics and stem cell biology. Julia Felippe, DVM, MS, PhD, and Cynthia Leifer, PhD, will contribute expertise in basic and equine immunology.

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